Sickness absence management

Is Smartphone Use Causing Stress Within An “Always On” Culture?

Posted on by Allison Caine

Every year, 400,000 people in the UK claim work related stress is making them ill, according to Dr Alasdair Emslie, president of the Society of Occupational Medicine, as reported by the BBC. He says changes in technology are contributing to this stress. It’s not a surprise when you consider the “always-on” state many of us currently exist in, both in our work and personal lives.

Smartphones are a fantastic invention in many ways. They allow us to stay connected, do business from anywhere and everywhere and in theory increase our level of productivity. But is this “always connected” approach to business causing the work-life balance to go awry? Some experts think it is; that the increased demands of smartphone connectivity is making employees feel as though they’re unable to cope.

Increasing smartphone use

Ofcom reports that the amount of time we spend connected to media is rising. In fact, smartphones have caused our daily total media consumption to grow from 8 hours 48 minutes in 2010 to over 11 hours in 2014.

Many of us check our smartphones first thing in the morning or last thing at night. Three quarters of people are even reported to take their phones into the loo with them. Literally the only break from smartphones is sleep. Checking work emails and calls at all hours of the day isn’t giving employees the time and space they require to switch off, or spend time with their families or pursuing other interests.

Plus, according to a PwC report called The Future of Work – A Journey To 2022, we’re not working more productively even despite all of this extra data and connectivity.

The business consequences

If employees are expected to be constantly connected to their smartphones for work purposes, companies may well witness an increase in stress levels. Stress goes hand in hand with increased employee absenteeism, as well as unhealthy practices like drinking, smoking, and eating junk food.

On top of this, there is the problem of overworking. The European Working Time Directive caps the working week at 48 hours with an 11 hour break within every 24 hours. Employees won’t be operating under this legislation if they’re glued to their smartphones morning, noon and night.

Legislation and occupational health surrounding smartphone use is a serious issue for modern businesses – have you considered it carefully enough?

OHBM is a professional Manchester-based occupational health advisor. Please do get in touch with us for a free overview of your business’ occupational health.

 

Are Your Employees Drinking Too Much Alcohol?

Posted on by Allison Caine

Alcohol is estimated to cause 3-5% of all absences from work; about 8 to 14 million lost working days in the UK each year. This comes at a cost of £7.3 billion per year to the UK economy and is the cause of 40% of accidents in the workplace.

The obvious causes of alcohol misuse is the hangover, whereby employees take sick days due to drinking too much the night before but there are also other implications to the workplace, as well as the lives of employees. For example, for 25 to 59 year olds, excessive drinking is the world’s primary risk factor for ill heath and premature death.

The problems lie in the fact that it isn’t always obvious when co-workers or staff are suffering due to alcohol misuse. There are actually more than 60 different medical conditions caused by alcohol misuse ranging from liver cirrhosis to throat cancer, as well as the problems associated with safety when employees in certain work environments turn in drunk or hungover.

What can your business do to help employees?

There is suggestion that the same approach used in GP’s surgeries and hospitals may also be effective in the workplace. This involves using a risk assessment sheet, on which employees answer a number of questions about their drinking habits. A five to ten minute session including feedback and advice on the assessment’s results is then given.

The evidence that making drinkers aware of health implications has positive effects is extensive and NICE recommends this approach to the medical environment. A number of organisations are now implementing this practice in the work environment to help lower individuals’ alcohol intake.

If you would like further advice and assistance on reducing the risk of alcohol on your workforce’s health and wellbeing speak to OHBM today.

OHBM: A Trusted Occupational Health Service In Manchester

Posted on by Allison Caine

At OHBM we understand that as a company your staff are your most important asset. That’s why it just makes sense to take good care of them and their health and wellbeing. We help business and other organisations in the Greater Manchester area to boost the health and wellbeing of their employees, largely by focusing on prevention rather than cure.

Healthy, valued employees are proven to achieve more and show a greater level of loyalty to your business – plus, they are easier to manage than those who feel taken advantage of or uncared for by your organisation. This all affects your bottom line.

A US study found that factors as common as being overweight can have a detrimental affect on your workforce. On average a normal-weight man will miss an average of 3 days a year due to illness or injury, while an overweight or obese man will miss around 5 days. Absences increase as employees gain more weight.

Another survey found that “77% of employees stated “health and wellness programs positively impact the culture at work.”

When employees are healthy and cared for, they are more motivated in the work environment and less likely to take time off due to physical and mental health issues.

If you’re currently considering whether you can afford to invest in occupational health services, we would ask you to consider whether you can afford not to. The cost savings through a positive attitude to workforce health can be extremely great.

For further information about how OHBM has helped businesses large and small, in the Manchester area and beyond, take a look at our testimonials. Or contact OHBM directly to discuss how we can help promote health and productivity within your workforce.

Workplace Stress Can Increase The Amount Of Sickness-Related Absences

Posted on by Allison Caine

Stress in the workplace has the potential to increase employee absences and reduce productivity. And stress is a very common complaint in the UK, with psychological problems including stress behind 1/5th of GP visits.

Symptoms of stress are numerous, but may include:

  • Palpitations
  • Dry Mouth
  • Headaches
  • Strange Aches And Pains
  • Loss Of Appetite

It can also lead to unhealthy behaviours such as drinking, smoking, comfort eating and drug use – which are further damaging to health.

Did you know that good management practices can help reduce work-related stress? At OHBM we can help you implement these practices within your business.

Contact us now for a chat about your organisation and how we can help.

The cost of absentee employees

Posted on by Allison Caine

When members of your workforce are absent due to illness, it causes a real impact on the rest of your team and your business. Productivity is reduced and other employees have to pick up the slack causing a reduction in morale. This can easily mean your bottom line is affected.

You might not think absenteeism is manageable, but at OHBM we pride ourselves on helping companies analyse their processes, reduce avoidable illnesses and get employees back to work more quickly. Talk to the team at OHBM today on 01625 268 609 about sickness absence management.

 

3 Ways For Employers To Help Staff Deal With Stress

Posted on by Allison Caine

Workplace stress is a common problem and one which has the potential to increase the number of sickness-related absences in your workplace. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says stress is the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other demands placed on them. In some work situations pressure can cause motivation, but excessive pressure has the potential to cause work-related stress.

According to the NHS website, psychological problems, including stress, anxiety and depression, are behind one in five GP visits.

Stress symptoms include:

  • palpitations
  • dry mouth
  • headaches
  • strange aches and pains
  • loss of appetite for food

Employees dealing with stress may be tempted towards unhealthy behaviour such as drinking, smoking or drug use and comfort eating. This has the potential to cause further health problems.

If you’re an employer, tackling stress in the workforce can decrease the number of staff sick days, boost productivity and increase morale. The HSE believes good management practices can help reduce work-related stress and provides management standards approach to help you take practical steps to minimise stress in the workplace. At OHBM we can help you implement these methods within your business.

As an employer, some of the things you can do to reduce employee stress levels include:

Promote activity

Does your workplace have a cycle to work scheme or 5-a-side football team your employees could get involved in? Do you offer reduced rates membership for local gyms? Exercise can help employees feel stronger physically and mentally, and enable them to deal with problems more calmly.

Avoid encouraging unhealthy habits

Does your workplace have a regular Friday night out in the local pub? While socialising is a great way to build relationships, you could encourage non-alcohol related activities instead. Bowling, a visit to a climbing wall, the cinema or the theatre are all enjoyable options that don’t revolve around alcohol.

Consider work-life balance

In the UK we work the longest hours in Europe. Lots of stressed employees could mean you’re expecting to much from them. Could you offer more flexible working hours, or at-home working arrangements to your team?

Talk to the team at OHBM to help you determine the best course of action to reduce stress in your workplace and boost the overall well-being of your team.

Sickness Absence Reaches Record Lows

Posted on by Allison Caine

Research shows that sickness absence is at a record low for manufacturing employers, according to industry body EEF.

The survey took into account data from 330 firms over the last two years, which showed absence levels reaching just 2.1% overall – the equivalent of 4.9 days per employee every year.

However, while short-term sickness absences have dropped, days off for long-term illnesses have risen, and employers have also reported a rise in employees suffering from mental health problems. Two in five of the companies surveyed by the EEF said long term absence has increased during the last 24 months.

Mental ill health, musculoskeletal disorders and illnesses leading to surgery were the greatest cause of long-term absence from work in the last two years.

“Driving down absence rates, helping more employees return to work earlier and encouraging their well-being is critical for our economy. But, despite employers increasing investment in managing sickness absence and, providing their employees with more health related benefits, the improvement in overall absence rates has more or less now plateaued,” said professor Sayeed Khan, chief medical adviser at EEF.

The effects of employee absence

When workers take days off sick it affects a business’ profitability, morale and success so it is imperative organisations look for ways to improve the overall health of employees and manage absences pro-actively and effectively.

Staff absences put a strain on other members of the team and cause output to decrease. They also have the potential to cause a dip in morale. This is why businesses need to consider plans to ensure business can continue when employees are absent, as well as ways to improve team members’ overall well-being to reduce unnecessary sickness absence and speed the return to work.

According to the survey, just 46 percent of employers in the manufacturing sector pay for medical interventions. The numbers of employers offering occupational health services are more positive however; 68 percent of those surveyed offered this service as a benefit for all staff.

If you are seeking a way to reduce sickness absence in the workplace, OHBM can help you put the necessary procedures in place. Speak to our helpful and friendly team about your business today.